


OUAT, episode 1: “The Sound Of Her Voice”

by Omorocca



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-18
Updated: 2012-06-18
Packaged: 2017-11-08 00:38:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omorocca/pseuds/Omorocca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story written in the hiatus before 'Skin Deep' so it doesn't take Rumbelle into consideration, though it kind of respects this pairing..........<br/>Not saying too much, I don't want to spoil.<br/>I truly wish you like it, it's the first time I show my fanfictions to strangers. Feel free to comment whether you liked or not, but be respectful.<br/>Thank you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	OUAT, episode 1: “The Sound Of Her Voice”

Fanfiction

Characters © OUAT writers and producers

Mother Gothel and Rapunzel © Grimm

Rebecca, Dominic and original characters are mine

 

 

This was a rainy day in Storybrooke and everyone was either staying indoors or running for shelter. In this gloomy environment, the yellow beetle seemed out of place. The car drove on Main Street all the way to “Granny’s”, parked near on the other side of the street and its driver rushed inside the diner.

 

“Hi, Emma!”

 

Ruby started preparing a table for her. The restaurant was empty, except for a woman sitting by herself by the window, watching the rain.

 

“What can I get you?”

“uuuuh… I don’t know… pancakes?”

“Sure!”

“And a hot chocolate—”

“ – with cinnamon. Got it!”

 

Ruby was in a good mood and it made Emma feel better. She liked her personality and could not see the little Red Riding Hood Henry thought she was. Emma sat and took a look at “The Mirror”, Storybrooke’s newspaper. True, it was less interesting, now that Sidney wasn’t working there anymore…

 

As she began to read, the door opened and Henry came in with his adoptive mother, Regina. It was Thursday, Henry was going to see Dr Hopper, his therapist.

 

“Emma”

“Hi!” She was obviously uncomfortable to be with both of them. The two ladies were oil and water and with Henry there, they would have to behave. “Hi, Madame Mayor.”

“Good evening, Miss Swan.”

 

The moment grew even more awkward when Henry sat in front of his birthmother as if it were the normal thing to do. Both mothers stared at him, uncertain of what to do next. Emma looked at Regina.

 

“So… do you guys want to join me?”

 

Regina was speechless and took a glimpse at her son. If she said no, he would have another reason to hate her and blame her for everything. If she said yes, she would show him she’s not as evil as he thinks. She could keep a discreet eye on the new Sheriff and she also needed Henry to like her after what had happened.

 

“Only if you don’t mind”, she answered with the shadow of a smile.

 

Henry didn’t see it coming and when Regina sat at the table with them, he stared at her with awe. Fortunately, Ruby arrived just in time to diffuse the awkwardness and take their orders.

 

“So… how are you doing?” asked Emma.

“We are fine, Miss Swan,”

“No we’re not, interrupted Henry, we had a fight. Again!”

“I don’t think the Sheriff needs to hear about this…”

“What happened?” asked Emma, without thinking.

“Oh, nothing new. The usual stuff.”

“Usual… kid, just because it happens a lot, doesn’t mean it’s insignificant. Fighting with your mom is always a big deal.”

 

She looked up to catch Regina’s reaction; the mayor didn’t seem to want to intervene… yet.

 

“Look, I know this situation is hard for you… and it’s hard for us too. We just have to figure this out… together… and it’s going to take time. What you need to know is that your mom loves you. We both do. You might not like the way she shows it, but she chose to be your mother, and that’s very important. That’s love!”

 

Henry stared at his birth mother, not believing what she was saying. Maybe she was bluffing so Regina would trust her and lower her guard. But the bluff… was it working? The mayor wasn’t answering.

 

“That’s beautiful.”

 

They all looked at the woman who had spoken; it was the woman who had been staring at the rain. She was in her late twenties – or more? Her eyes looked quite older – very pale with brown eyes and long, very long, light brown hair.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I simply heard you talking and it touched me.”

 

She approached Henry in an extremely shy fashion.

 

“Your birth mother is right. Whether it’s by birth or by adoption, what makes a parent is the love they have for their children. Regina stuck with you through everything and she is really tying her best to get through to you… not because she’s wants to harm you, but because she wants to understand you and help you. Trust me, Henry; that is love… And besides, just think how lucky you are to have two loving moms.”

“You’re adopted,” said Emma.

“Does it show that much?”

 

Emma smiled. The lady smiled back.

 

“I’m sorry… it’s none of my business. I won’t bother you any more… good night.”

 

Before they could say anything else, she grabbed her coat and left the diner.

 

“Who’s that?”

“Rebecca Toren, answered Ruby bringing their orders. She’s lived in Storybrooke her whole life apparently, but I just met her a week ago. She’s staying with us for the moment… I don’t really know anything more about her, just that she doesn’t get out much.”

“She looks so sad”, said Henry.

“She is… I think she’s all alone in the world.”

 

Regina looked at Ruby in a way that shut her up. She left, not before giving some attitude back at the mayor. Emma saw that. So did Henry. Apparently, Regina didn’t want them to know anything about Rebecca Toren. Henry saw a conspiracy; Emma saw something else… a secret maybe.

 

 

 

It was around 8 that same day and Emma was relaxing in her office. All her paperwork was done and she was lazily reading an old file before getting ready to do her last round and close for the night. Henry walked in her office, his book in his hands, looking ecstatic.

 

“Henry, what are you doing here?”

“I thought we could talk about Miss Toren after your shift.”

“And… why do you want to talk about her?”

“Did you see how my mom looked at Ruby when she told us about her? She didn’t want us to know anything.”

“Kid, I just think she figured this woman’s personal life wasn’t our business.”

“But you saw her? She looked very sad. She needs some help. And we know that she’s living at _Granny’s_.”

“So…?”

“Everyone in Storybrooke has somewhere to live, and she lives at the inn? What happened to her? Why is she so alone? Does it have something to do with _who she used to be_?”

“So, what do you want to do? Ask her questions about her personal life? I don’t want to freak her out.”

“Well, she came to talk to us because of my fight with my adoptive mother, and you already figured out she’s adopted.”

 

Emma paused. She had a better idea. An idea that would give Henry the satisfaction of investigating ‘Operation: Cobra’ without invading Miss Toren’s life too much. And maybe the shy lady would help her understand Henry and ease the tensions between the two mothers.

 

“All right! I’ll go talk to her after my shift. But… I have to do it alone. I’m going to use your fight with your mom as an excuse to ask her questions, to get her to help me understand you since she’s been in the same situation.”

“That’s brilliant!”

“Why don’t you keep you walkie-talkie open tonight and we’ll talk about it when I’m done?”

 

Henry acquiesced with a smile and gave her a big hug before he left. Emma looked at him through the window until he was out of her sight. She really cared for him, and Miss Toren’s words echoed in her ears: what makes a parent is the love they feel for their children… and she truly loved her son.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Lady Gothel’s Castle

 

In the top room of the highest tower of the old castle, a young woman was reading, a cat sleeping on her lap. She had a pale figure and extremely long hair braided and held together in a topknot.

 

“Daughter, I’ve returned.”

 

The woman’s face brightened at the call and she got up to look at the window. An older woman, her mother, was standing at the bottom of the tower, waving at her.

 

“Let down your hair, darling.”

 

The daughter took off the long pin that kept the braid in place and the hair descended by itself through the window and all the way to the bottom of the tower, as if controlled by magic. The old woman grabbed the braid to climb the tower and without effort, she entered the room to take her daughter in her arms.

 

“Mother, I was so worried.”

“There’s nothing to be worried about, my dear. Of all the witches and fairies I trade with, Maleficent isn’t that bad. Granted, she is very dangerous, but if you play fair with her, she can even be friendly.”

“Oh Mother, can you really trust these people? You’re the one constantly warning me of the evil in this world.”

“Do not fear for me, my child. I can take care of myself. You worry too much.”

“Well… I take after my mother.”

 

Both women smiled, but then the daughter’s smile faded and she lost some of her confidence.

 

“Mother, I have to tell you something… Recently, while you were away, I’ve… I’ve been having a visitor… a friend…”

 

The mother gasped.

 

“Someone came here? Who was it? Do I know this person? This friend? What’s his name?”

“Wilfried”, answered the girl, insecure.

“Wil – the king’s son?”

“I know how it looks.”

“How did he know how to get here?”

“He saw us at the fair last year and came here to meet us… but he’s a bit frightened of you, mother, so he usually waits after you’re gone.”

 

The mother looked at her, not believing what she was hearing.

 

“How long has he been visiting you?”

“… a month.”

“A _month_?”

“I know… I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you sooner. I wanted you to meet him.”

“How can we meet when he waits until after I’m gone to sneak in?”

“Mother, please, don’t be mad.” The poor girl was about to cry.

“Mad? You know how the king sees me. He despises me. What if he’s using his son to gain information on us? Can you be sure that he truly cares for you?”

“Yes!... Yes, Mother, I’m sure!”

 

The witch paused for a moment and looked deeply in her daughter’s eyes.

 

“You love him, don’t you?” The daughter acquiesced. “All right. I will meet your prince. Next time he comes to see you, tell him that. If he truly loves you back, I will see it in him and then… you will have my blessing.”

 

The girl couldn’t believe her ears. She stared at her mother with awe. The mother looked back with a contrived smile, brushing the hair off her daughter’s face and putting it behind her ear. A caring gesture.

 

“I am growing old, Rapunzel. I won’t be here forever. I’ve kept you hidden from the evils of this world, but you are an adult now. You will have to live out there eventually. This world is hard and if you have found true love, it will make everything else easier.”

 

She took Rapunzel in her arms and hugged her intensely. Both women were crying.

 

“I love you, Mother.”

“I love you too, my dear. So much that it hurts.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Storybrooke, Maine

 

The little bell rang when the door opened and Emma entered the inn. Granny was coming out of the kitchen, a teapot in her hands. On the table were two cups and a plate of cookies.

 

“Oh, hello Sheriff!”

“Hi… I’m sorry to disturb, I’m looking for Rebecca Toren.”

“Well, she’s coming down in a minute for tea… Will you be joining us, or is it official matter?”

“No, I was just curious after our brief conversation at the diner.”

“Yes, Ruby told me… I’ll get another cup.”

 

Granny was back in the kitchen before Emma could answer anything. She got right back with a cup and a smile. Having people over for tea must have made her feel less alone in this empty inn.

 

“I hope you won’t mind this setup. I know Miss Toren is very shy and a third person that she knows a little more might help her feel more at ease.”

 

Emma smiled at the good intention. At that moment, Miss Toren entered the room, a wool shawl on her shoulders.

 

“Oh, good evening Sheriff… Are you here officially?”

“No… I just wanted to talk to you about… you. If you don’t mind.”

 

Miss Toren was surprised, but she accepted to answer a few questions. They sat at the table while Granny served them some tea.

 

“I don’t really know where to start, Emma confessed. You already know I’m Henry’s birth mother.”

“I read the article in ‘The Mirror’. And I could see the tension between you and Regina. It must be hard for you, and for Henry.”

“That’s why I’m here. I wanted to talk about that with you. Since you’re adopted… you might understand Henry better than me… or Regina and maybe help me see this from his perspective?”

 

Now that she was asking her, Emma didn’t think her plan was very wise. Getting advice from a perfect stranger on how to understand her son? Not genius at all. But she was there anyway, and Miss Toren seemed cooperative, taking the time to think before she answered. Emma couldn’t help but notice how old she looked. They were about the same age, but Miss Toren’s behaviour was that of an old lady.

 

“I don’t think I can help you, Sheriff. You see, my mother and I loved each other very much and she demonstrated her feelings for me. The only problems we had were because she was very protective and a bit paranoid… well, very paranoid. Regina, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to show her love and Henry must think she doesn’t care at all. Maybe she’s among those parents who think it’s not essential to display their love… or maybe she’s just bad at it.”

 

That last remark made the three women laugh.

 

“Truth is, Sheriff, with every child, adopted or not, the situation differs. I was adopted, but I never was in Henry’s situation. For example, I never thought of finding my birth parents because my relationship with my mom never made me feel empty or miserable.”

“I understand. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I thought…”

“You lived in the foster system and never had a long lasting relationship with these families you were with. It’s comprehensible that you would go to someone you barely know for parental tips… I- I’m not judging you, Sheriff, after all I voted for you. But when you put the pieces together, it makes sense.”

 

They looked into each other’s eyes. Emma’s eyes widened as she held Miss Toren’s awkward stare. The shy lady was making an effort not to look away, and she smiled.

 

“There is a lot of emotion in your eyes. You truly care, and not just about Henry… I trust you will find a way to help your son.”

 

 

 

Once in her car, Emma drove to the mayor’s house to be in range and opened her walkie-talkie. In his room, Henry heard the interference and jumped on his.

 

“Emma?”

“Yeah, I just left Granny’s.”

“What do you have on Miss Toren?”

“I’m not sure… she lived alone with her overprotective mother for years. She still lives at her house, but now it’s being renovated, so she went to Granny’s to avoid the noise. She volunteers at the hospital sometimes, so Mary Margaret may know about her. I’ll ask her tonight, I might know more tomorrow… Oh and she loved to knit, but I don’t know if it will help you find her in your book.”

 

Henry laughed but quickly, on the back of his head, an idea appeared.

 

 

At the hospital, the next day, Rebecca Toren was calmly drinking her tea and reading a hospital memo, when she heard a sound behind her. A sound she knew.

 

Tick… tick… tock…

 

A cane. She raised her head and sighed, then turned to face the person who had sneaked behind her.

 

She gasped.

He heard.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, she replied, I’m the one who’s sorry. I thought you were… someone else.”

 

She saw his cane was white and his eyes had no focus.

 

“Do you need some help?”

“I’m trying to get to Dr Whale’s office.”

“I can take you there… Would you prefer to grab my arm or just follow me?”

“Well, if you don’t mind accompanying me, all I really need is to follow your voice.”

 

As she guided him towards the office, Rebecca couldn’t help but stare at the blind man. And once she had dropped him off, she stayed around in case he would need her help again. And strangely, she hoped he would.

 

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Emma was eating her lunch at Granny’s because she knew Henry would come by during his lunch break from school. Of course, he would have a fairy-tale to talk about but today she didn’t mind. At least, she would spend time with him and the more she got used to his theories, the more she liked them. Though sometimes, she had to admit they scared her.

 

As promised, he came in, bearing his book like a treasure, a big smile on his face.

 

“So… what did you find?” she asked to encourage him.

“There’s a lot of stories with orphans who lost their parents one way or another. Usually they end up with step parents, almost always stepmoms.” He opened the book at a particular page that he showed her. “But there is one story about a girl who was adopted by a single mother, an overprotective paranoid single mother.”

“Rapunzel”, she read.

“It makes total sense. When she became old enough for marriage, her mother locked her up in a tower to protect her from the world. She didn’t get out alone until the story’s end. The only ones who would visit her were her mother and—”

“Her prince! I remember this tale; he would meet her when her mother was away and he would use her hair to climb the tower because there was no door to get in… You think her prince is here?”

“Well, according to the story, Lady Gothel, the mother, sent her away not long after she found out about the prince’s visits. Websites that show different versions of this story don’t agree on why, but my book says there was a danger coming and Lady Gothel wanted to keep Rapunzel away from it.”

“The curse?”

“I don’t think so… I think it was a person. It says that Lady Gothel had very powerful enemies.”

“And what happened to the prince?”

“He went to see Rapunzel, but only found her mother. Then he fell from the tower into the roses and lost his eyes.”

“Yikes! That’s pretty graphic… So, do you think we should be looking for a blind man as well?”

“I don’t know… In the end, he gets cured by their true love, but since the curse took their happy ending, he’s probably blind. Maybe we could get Miss Toren to—”

“Meet with her blind prince.”

“They would be happy again. It worked for Ashley. It worked for Eva and Nicholas. If we got Miss Toren to fall in love again with her blind prin—”

 

Emma’s face had changed and it stopped Henry in mid-sentence. He turned around. Miss Toren was behind them and she seemed in shock.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Lady Gothel’s Castle

 

In her tower, Rapunzel was a bundle of nerves. Passing in front of her mirror, she rearranged her hair. Her prince would come later; after weeks of preparations, he would finally meet with her mother.

 

“Rapunzel! Quickly, let down your hair!”

 

She could hear the distress in her mother’s voice. Something was wrong. She took out the pin that held her hair together and the braid climbed down the tower like before. In a few steps, Lady Gothel was in the room, out of breath.

 

“Darling… we have a problem. We are no longer safe here”

“What do you mean, mother? With all the protective spells you cast on the castle—”

“ – That’s the problem, my dear. Every magic we gain, comes with its price to pay. The more powerful I became, the more enemies I got. And one of them is coming this way.”

“Who?... What does he want?”

“I am not waiting to see, answered Lady Gothel taking out a pair of scissors. I am hiding you some place where he can’t find you… where no one can.”

“No one?” Rapunzel almost cried.

“Remember, all spells have a failsafe. The only person who will be able to find you is someone who truly loves you.”

 

As she explained, she began cutting her daughter’s hair. Sparkles popped out of the scissors as she did so.

 

“If I make it out all right, I’ll come find you. If not, at least you will be safe.”

“What about you, mother?... and Wilfried? You two were supposed to meet tonight.”

“I will try to keep him safe, if I can. One thing is certain. If what you two have is true love, he will find you.”

 

She took her daughter’s face in her hands; Rapunzel’s poorly cut hair was now falling over her face. Lady Gothel gently brushed it off and put it behind her ear. A caring gesture, bound to be her last.

 

“Now I will hide you away.” Her voice started to break. “If I don’t make it out alive, I want you to have this.”

 

She took the amulet she had around her neck and broke it in half. It was now a strange cross pendant and a big red stone. She gave the cross to her daughter.

 

“My most powerful spells are kept in these. If something happens to me and my enemy steals my half, if he comes for you, you will feel him draw near and you will be able to hide. If he grows too close, the two amulets will reconnect and you will be able to use them to protect yourself.”

“What? I don’t understand.”

“You will in time. Keep this on you at all times and you and _the people you love will always be safe_.”

 

And the witch cast a spell on Rapunzel’s mirror, transforming it into some sort of passageway. On the other side was a desert land.

 

“Go now, my dearest… and always remember; I love you.”

“I love you too, Mother.”

 

And she got pushed into the mirror, turned around just in time to see her Mother’s smile – and something move behind her – before the passageway disappeared.

 

 

 

When it closed, Lady Gothel let down her tears. Her reflexion in the glass showed how worn and horrified her face was. She had grown very old in the past few days.

 

It also showed something else. She wasn’t alone any more.

 

“So, it’s you.”

 

She turned to look at her uninvited guest; standing by the window, all smiles, he was staring back at her.

 

“I heard much about you… Rumpelstiltskin”

 

The man bowed in a caricature of a curtsey, still smiling.

 

“And I about you, Lady Gothel. They say you hold the secret to the greatest, most effective, protective spells ever seen. I even heard that the king, your neighbour, once sent a thousand men after you and you survived, without a scratch.”

“They exaggerated.”

 

The little man laughed and that laugh gave Lady Gothel chills.

 

“Your skills are legendary among the witches, dearie. And I also heard that you like to trade spells and hexes with witches and wizards of your calibre. Which is the reason for my little unannounced visit.”

“I will not trade with you. I know the kind of deals you make.”

“I’m giving you a chance here. Out of respect. I could just as easily take what I want from you.”

“You might as well try, because I will not deal with you.”

 

And as she answered, she formed a spell in her hands to get rid of the intruder.

 

“As you wish,” he concluded.

 

She threw a massive force on him, that he held with difficulty, replying with a nervous laugh. She was stronger than him on protective spells, stronger than anyone he knew, and she would have the upper hand. However, he had a little ace in the hole, an object that he drew out of his coat pocket that would turn the tide. A wand.

 

“A fairy’s wand?”

“I just got this from a fairy godmother. In situations like this, it has proven to be quite handy.”

 

And the spell he cast with the wand was so powerful that it almost knocked Lady Gothel down. The witch gasped, barely holding on her shield. She had only half of her magic with her. Even her most powerful spell was weakened. The power of Rumpelstiltskin, combined with those of the wand, would get the better of her.

 

“You’re weakening, dearie. Soon, you’ll be destroyed and I will have your beloved amulet. Your spells will have no secret for me.”

“Keep dreaming… You will never be able to use this amulet. Only I know how it operates.”

“Only you and your precious daughter that you just sent away… she might not be a witch, but she understands your magic more than she thinks she does, and without you to protect her, she won’t resist as much.”

“You will never find her.” The mention of Rapunzel made Lady Gothel stronger. “I will never reveal where she is hidden.”

“And when your power fails, I will read your pretty head like an open book!”

 

He laughed again – this insane laugh – and the witch cried. She would not hold any longer. She had to keep Rapunzel safe.

 

“You will never find her.”

 

And with a smile, she let go of her shield. Rumpelstiltskin’s curse hit her full blast and before he could realise what had just happened, Lady Gothel was dead.

 

“NOOO!”

 

In a deep state of rage, he jumped on the lifeless body and shook her as if to wake her up. But it was over. He might have won her amulet of spells; he did not know yet how to use it or where to find the daughter of the paranoid witch. Furious, Rumpelstiltskin ripped the gold chain from Lady Gothel’s neck. He would find a way around its safeties and make the spells work, no matter what.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Storybrooke, Maine

Granny’s diner

 

Rebecca sat silent, not believing what she just heard. Because she had overheard Henry’s theories, he had explained her the whole story, linking what he knew from her personal life with the life of Rapunzel and her mother. She had listened patiently but in the end, something shocked her.

 

“Henry, these fairy tales are written to teach children. They didn’t happen. Just because my mother and I had a similar life, it doesn’t mean we’re _them_.”

“I can prove it… All we need to do is find your prince.”

“My prince?”

“The prince who kept visiting Rapunzel, while she was in her tower. Once Lady Gothel hid her away, the prince returned to see Rapunzel. Most versions of the story tell that the witch pushed the prince off the tower. He fell in the roses and lost his eyes. True love cured him in the end, but since the happy endings have all been destroyed, your prince is probably still blind.”

 

All this was crazy, but could it mean something in the normal world? She had heard her mother’s paranoid babble for years, trying to understand it. Could this coincidence between her life and the tale be significant for her?

 

“What’s wrong?” asked Emma.

“I… I met a man today at the hospital. I had a strange feeling that we had met before. He’s still on my mind.”

“Is he blind?” asked Henry.

“Yes, he is. None of this makes sense… I don’t even know this man’s name, but I feel like I know him.”

 

Henry looked at the two women.

 

“It _has_ to be him… Miss Toren, could you find his name and, I don’t know, just talk to him?”

“Whoa, Henry, Emma replied. This is a bit of a long shot, don’t you think?”

 

But Henry was already up, getting ready to leave the diner.

 

“I guess I could ask Dr Whale”, Rebecca finally said, still troubled by everything. “I mean, he had an appointment with him.”

“Let’s go!” said Henry.

“Oh no, answered Emma. You are going back to school now. I don’t want your mother to hear you skipped class again.”

 

Henry sighed.

 

“O.K. but I want to know everything.”

 

 

 

“You want to what?”

“I just want to know who he is, Doctor. When I helped him this morning, I couldn’t help but think we had met before. I know it sounds insane, but I just want to talk to him and figure this out.”

 

Rebecca looked so sad and Dr Whale knew she had no ill intentions. Of all the volunteers in the hospital, only Mary Margaret got more sympathy from him. But he had protocols to follow and things he could not reveal, no matter how much he wanted to. And he knew she would understand, because she knew the rules, but also because she was very secretive herself.

 

A few minutes later, Rebecca was back in the hospital corridor, where Emma was waiting.

 

“His name is Dominic Muller. Dr Whale can’t tell me anything else about him, because of doctor-patient confidentiality. But I have his name, I mean, that’s a start.”

“With the name, I can find him.”

 

They left, confident they would find him. After all, finding people was Emma’s speciality.

 

 

 

In his office, Dr Whale picked up his phone and dialled. When the call was picked up, he started talking.

 

“You were right. Rebecca Toren was just here and she asked me about Mr Muller… How did you know?... No I just gave her the name.”

 

After hearing his interlocutor’s answer, he simply asked: “Does this mean we’re even?” And after hearing the answer, he hung up, disgusted by the situation he got himself caught into.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Are you sure?” Rebecca asked.

 

Emma was driving them to the location of Dominic Muller’s apartment. It was the day after and Henry was with them. Rebecca showed more and more signs that she wanted to walk out. All this seemed too crazy for her.

 

“You have to do this, answered Henry. You belong together!”

“What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, I’m Rebecca and we’re supposed to live happily ever after?’ That’s delirious!”

 

Henry didn’t answer. They were in front of the apartment building and so were three big trucks. Outside, on the sidewalk, stood the inhabitants of the three apartments the building had. Dominic Muller wasn’t there.

 

“What’s going on?” asked Emma to one of the renters.

“We’re being moved. Apparently, there’s a security risk in the structure and they will have to tear down some walls to fix it.”

 

Rebecca stared at the trucks, speechless while Emma was asking those questions. Like she knew what was going on.

 

“Is Dominic Muller here?”

“That’s the strangest thing. Someone came to pick him up an hour ago. Said the landlord sent him.”

 

Rebecca’s fears were confirmed. She ran before Emma could finish. The Sheriff still asked one more thing.

 

“Who owns this place?”

“Mr Gold, of course. He owns most of this town. He has us live at Granny’s while they are renovating. That’s strangely nice of him to take care of us like that.”

“Thank you.”

 

Emma and Henry jumped in the car. They knew where Rebecca was headed.

 

 

 

The little bell rang when Rebecca entered, Emma and Henry right after her. Behind the glass counter of the shop, the pawnbroker was smiling at them, carefully polishing a set of brass candlesticks, not in the least surprised to see them.

 

“Rebecca! My, I haven’t seen you in ages. What can I do for you, my dear?”

“I’m looking for Dominic Muller. One of your dogs picked him up today.”

“Of course, I was merely offering to drive him to the hospital.”

“Nice try, Emma answered. I called Dr Whale on the way here. Dominic Muller has no appointment for the rest of the week.”

“What have you done?”

 

The man smiled enigmatically.

 

“Why is this all so important to you?”

“That’s none of your business. Nothing I do or no one I see is your business anymore. You lost that privilege years ago.”

“Quite the contrary, my dear. According to the state, we still have a contract to honour. And you know how I feel about deals.”

“This ‘deal’ is void. It’s broken. You can’t control my life anymore. It doesn’t matter how much you’re willing to pay to hide Dominic, I fill find him.”

“Why do you do this to yourself, Rebecca?” asked Mr Gold, suddenly serious. “You are willing to turn your whole life around for a man you don’t even know.”

“I did it once, I can do it again.”

 

They stared at each other for a moment. Emma and Henry stared at them both, trying to understand what was going on. Mr Gold had resumed his enigmatic smile, but his eyes showed the anger of the monster inside him. Rebecca held his stare as long as she could.

 

“Sign the papers”, she suddenly said.

“Are you sure you want to break a contract with me, Rebecca?”

“You don’t understand, she replied losing her confidence. Our ‘contract’ – as you called it – meant that we should _love_ each other until death do us part. We never got to the love part.”

 

She paused. The bomb had been dropped in front of the Sheriff and her son. Rebecca felt ashamed to have dragged them into this.

 

“What makes you say that?” asked Gold, his composure still intact.

“I feared you every day we were together… and even more when we separated. I could never love someone I fear so much. And I know that you never loved me.”

“And how do you know that, I wonder.”

“Because I know what love feels like and you don’t have it. I used to feel it. I had the most loving, caring mother in the world. I know what you think of her, but she taught me what love is. I just forgot about that when I said ‘yes’ to your… contract!... Sign the papers!”

 

And before he could answer, she was already out of the shop. Emma looked at him, amazed by this new discovery; he didn’t seem to be anything but amused by the situation. But his eyes betrayed that something was annoying him, upsetting his plans. He turned to her.

 

“Well, that was exiting, wasn’t it?”

“Why did you do it? Why did you hide Dominic? It’s not about your marriage, there’s something else.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Emma didn’t stay to play games. She knew he would only toy with her and not reveal anything. When it came to his private life, Mr Gold was an unresolved puzzle. Rebecca would tell her.

 

Mr Gold peacefully watched them leave. Then, his smile disappeared.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Lady Gothel’s Castle

 

Outside of the tower, Prince Wilfried got down his horse and towards the braid of hair that hanged from the top window. Meeting Lady Gothel was not something he was eager to. His father had told him so many horrible stories about this witch, but Rapunzel had reassured him her mother would agree to their union.

 

Once on top of the braid, he looked through the window, but could only see darkness.

 

“Rapunzel?”

 

There was no answer. It was too dark to see in the room, but the little he saw was that the braid had been cut and was now tied to the pole of the baldachin bed. He began to panic and slowly drew his sword.

 

“Rapunzel?... Lady Gothel?... are you in here?”

 

He gently crossed the window to get inside. His eyes were getting used to the darkness and he saw a human form lying motionless on the ground… and a shadow move towards him with a laugh. An insane laugh. Wilfried tried to use his sword against the intruder, but he was pushed with an excessive force. He could only see that his attacker had very dark, terrifying eyes before he fell from the tower… into Lady Gothel’s roses. After that, everything went black.

 

On top of the tower, Rumpelstiltskin watched the prince fall and laughed.

 

“Good luck finding the girl now, dearie.”

 

And he grabbed the braid of Rapunzel’s hair, which magically wrapped itself up, like a ball of rope. He turned to Lady Gothel’s corpse.

 

“That could come in handy… and now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment with your beloved daughter.”

 

And he bowed one last time before he disappeared, looking for Rapunzel and her knowledge of the witch’s powers.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Storybrooke, Maine

 

Outside the shop, Rebecca was walking in circles, not knowing where to go. Emma and Henry caught up with her. It was Henry who spoke first.

 

“You’re married to Mr Gold? I didn’t even know he was married.”

“No one in town knew… except some of his employees and your mother… I meant the mayor. We separated almost right after we got married and tried to make it work again, and failed… We’re not made for each other.”

“That’s odd, said Emma. Why didn’t anyone know?”

“Well… I’m not really a people person, Sheriff. Hardly anyone in town knows me, and those who do only know I’m the daughter of the crazy Mrs Toren. The marriage was an arrangement, nothing more and I know he wasn’t keen to talk about a wife he didn’t love… But spend a fortune to cover Dominic’s abduction just so I can’t talk to him? I don’t understand why he would do that.”

 

Emma wanted to answer something supportive, but her cell phone rang. She looked at the message and frowned.

 

“It’s the station. Someone just saw an accident and called an ambulance. A car crashed near the woods’ entrance. The driver is stable but…” She kept on reading. “Someone resembling Dominic’s description was seen leaving the car and walking randomly into the woods.”

 

They hopped in Emma’s car. Through the window of the Pawnbroker shop, Mr Gold witnessed the scene. When the car left, he turned the sign on his door to ‘Closed’ and left the shop.

 

 

 

Close to the accident scene, Emma quickly talked with the paramedics to know more about what happened. Then she took with her a few volunteers to help find Dominic Muller before he was too far. He could need medical assistance. After quickly dispatching everyone, she took off with Rebecca and Henry.

 

“How are we going to find him in this?” asked Rebecca.

 

None of them knew how to find someone in the woods.

 

“You could sing”, Henry suggested. “Use your voice to guide him back to you, like you did before.”

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Lady Gothel’s Castle

 

With excruciating pain, Wilfried got out of the rose bushes and crawled to his horse. He could hear the screams of the witch’s guards, alerted by the ruckus in the tower. Soon they would find him. With a few fractured ribs and blood coming out of where his eyes used to be, he climbed on the saddle and leaned on his horse. The animal slowly walked out of the castle to the plains and roads home.

 

 

 

In the forest, Rebecca stared at Henry.

 

“Sing?”

“It worked before, he answered. He was lost, looking for you and he found you in the desert with your voice.”

“Henry, please!... stop it with the fairy tales, please.”

 

She was about to crack. All the stress was too much for her to have to deal with a fairy tale. Emma grabbed her son in her arms.

 

“Give her some rest, kid. She’s been through a lot.”

 

Behind them, someone else twitched. Mr Gold had followed them and looked at his ex with worry. What if she were to remember? Would she know what he had done? Would she be able to use the amulet against him? After all, her true love for her prince had once cured him. His love was long gone, but hers was coming back. What if it were powerful enough to…

 

Rebecca sang a few notes. She was quite good and it surprised her. So she began to sing, shyly at first, but clearer and with more and more confidence after each verse. It was an old song her mother used to sing.

 

 

 

Prince Wilfried was now completely lost. Closing in on the meeting of the forest and a desert, his horse could not understand where its master wanted it to go. The man sighed in despair, certain that he would die there.

 

Or not? What was this sound? A voice? He pulled his head up, tried to get where the sound was coming from. If he could find its source, he would get help.

 

 

 

Dominic Muller leaned on a tree, disoriented. His eyes showed terror, he didn’t know where he was and how to get back to town. To the hospital. He stopped and listened. Maybe he could hear cars.

 

Something else was there… a voice. There was someone else in the woods. His face lighted as he walked towards it.

 

 

 

It was her voice, he knew it now. Rapunzel was close. Wilfried got off his horse and walked towards the voice of his love.

 

Rapunzel was getting water in a little spring, singing an old song her mother used to sing to her. She startled when she heard the footsteps behind her and turned, then gasped.

 

“Oh my god!... Wilfried!”

 

He walked to her and took Rapunzel in his arms. Kissed her deeply, relieved to have found her.

 

 

 

Rebecca finished her song and breathed again. Dominic hadn’t shown. Perhaps he was too far to hear her, or perhaps something had happened to him.

 

“Well it was worth a try.”

“You can’t give up. You’re too close. He will find you, you’re his true love.”

 

But she couldn’t hear this anymore and sat down, tears coming out of her eyes. Henry and Emma sat by her side.

 

Behind them, Mr Gold felt the urge to look in his coat pocket and pulled out a golden chain with a red stone pendant. Lady Gothel’s amulet. It was shining bright, like it never did before, since they came to Storybrooke. He looked up again and that’s when he saw him.

 

Dominic Muller had walked into the clearing, right in front of Emma, Henry and Rebecca.

 

 

 

Rapunzel couldn’t help but cry, seeing her beloved’s pierced eyes. Exhausted, Wilfried had fallen on his knees and Rapunzel’s tears were rushing everywhere on his face and into his eyes.

 

Suddenly, he screamed and held his face in his hands.

 

“Wilfried! What’s happening?”

“My eyes!... They’re burning.”

 

She kneeled by his side and with a wet piece of her dress, slowly washed his face, to remove the blood and see the damage. He stopped her hand. They stared at each other.

 

Wilfried’s eyes were whole again. And with them, he could see his lover’s face. He also saw something he hadn’t seen before, in the darkness of the tower. Rapunzel was pregnant.

 

 

 

Rebecca walked towards Dominic, not believing what had just happened.

 

“Mr Muller?... Dominic? Are you all right?”

 

His empty eyes focused on the origin of the sound.

 

“It’s you!... I thought I recognised that voice. Thanks for guiding me back.”

 

She put her hand on his arm. He did the same. Behind them, Henry was all smiles and Emma, feeling a presence, turned to see Mr Gold look at his ex with a strange emotion she did not understand. He looked back at something in his hand – something that shone brightly – and put it back in his pocket. Before leaving, he saw Emma was looking at him. He smiled at her and went on his way, always a mystery.

 

Elsewhere in the forest, too far to hear anything, Regina had witnessed the lovers’ reunion and it sickened her. Was it because another happy ending was about to be restored? Was it because Henry and Emma had participated in it? Was it because “Mr Gold” seemed to enjoy it rather than despise it like she did?

 

Whatever the reason, she knew that this true love restored meant the curse would weaken a little, once more.


End file.
